While this article aims to discuss various facets of transitioning, from start to finish, one pertinent step that every transgender person goes through is the realization that they associate with another gender more than the one they were assigned at birth.
For many, this tends to be innate from childhood. They may be tempted to put on more feminine clothes or may experience a significant amount of interest in makeup and other supposed gender-specific activities.
Moreover, a lot of transgender people have reported that they never felt like they fit in, before they realized their identity.
Before that, many transgender people also experience gender dysphoria, even though they might not recognize it by its name.
Transitioning and Coming Out
The next step for many is transitioning. It is obvious that this is a big step. Every transgender person has their own goals, dreams, and desires and as a result, the perfect timing to transition varies for each person.
For many people, even after realizing their identity, they take several months or even years before they decide to transition. As far as coming out is concerned, it is recommended to do so with at least one or two people you trust before transitioning.
This helps you build a support system during transitioning, which can be a very overwhelming process.
Please remember that if you are under the age of 18, you would require parental consent to undergo transitioning through hormone replacement therapy.
Developing the Right Mindset
As stated before, transitioning can be challenging, painful, and overwhelming. Moreover, the results won’t appear overnight. It takes a substantial amount of time.
As a result, it requires a lot of patience. It is highly recommended to set specific goals and take it one step at a time.
Do not try to rush through the process. In some countries in particular, the process can be quite lengthy.
For instance, in Sweden, those who want to undergo transition are required to talk to a therapist for months before they can take the next step.
Seek Support and Help
This stepyour transitioning process
We highly recommend finding a gender therapist and a support group. In fact, finding a gender therapist is one of the most important steps when transitioning.
Inform them of your goals and they can help you achieve them. It is equally important to find a support group in your social circle or even outside it.
Transitioning
There are many decisions to undertake with respect to transitioning. For instance, do you want to undergo HRT and gender affirming surgery?
Some people choose to undergo just one of them or even none of them.
So research the various procedures that one typically goes through for transitioning and then determine what is best for you.
Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone Replacement Therapytestosterone blockers
With estrogen, feminine attributes such as breasts are gained while testosterone blockers help block the testosterone and decrease male attributes such as dark hair growth.
Once you undergo SRS involving removal of the testes, you can stop taking testosterone blockers as your body doesn't produce testosterone anymore.
It is very important to understand the effects of HRT. Firstly, when you go on estrogen, all of your body parts tend to undergo changes, including your face, hips, body, breasts, and more.
Moreover, it could cause mood swings. It typically takes anywhere between two to four months for the first few changes to appear. Eventually, your breasts will begin to grow, which can be a slightly painful process.
Please understand that estrogen will not alter your bone structure. However, it can alter your body fat distribution - you may notice that your hips begin to widen and your waist might get slimmer.
Legal Changes
To legally change your name, pronouns, and gender, you need to understand the laws and legislations within your country and state.
For instance, in Sweden, the government assists people with these procedures after you seek the assistance of a gender therapist.
Once your gender therapist approves of the process, they will send a letter to the government.
Then, you merely have to visit the website to change your name. Following that, the government will change your legal status as well.
You can then change your driver's license to align with your legal name and gender. But these rules vary from place to place.
Unwanted Hair
As you transition, you may begin to be irked by unwanted facial and body hair.
You can purchase IPL machines as removing unwanted hair can help significantly with body dysphoria.
For instance, with the KetchBeauty machines, with just a click of a few buttons, you can easily remove your body hair and facial hair.
While talking about unwanted hair, it is also important to talk about the hair that we want- beautiful locks.
We highly recommend growing out your hair starting a few months before you start transitioning, so it is at a good length when you finally start the process.
Here at KetchBeauty, we provide IPLs specific to help transitioning women remove unwarted facial and body hair.
All IPL purchases are back by a 90 day money back guarantee and a 1 year warranty.
If you're looking for a better way to get rid of unwanted facial and body hair at home (permanently) click here to learn more.
You can find our two IPL handsets here:
KetchBeauty IPL Handset
KetchBeauty V4.1 IPL Handset.
Suggested read: (links open in a new tab)
Electrolysis Hair Removal - Everything You Need to Know
Best MTF Transgender Hair Removal Methods
MTF Laser Hair Removal
MTF Laser Hair Removal Cost
At Home Laser Hair Removal Before And After
Makeup and Clothes
Transitioning can be expensive; but you can cut costs in various places. You can ask your friends for clothes they no longer wear. Or, you can go thrift store hopping.
When it comes to clothes and makeup, finding out what your exact style is can also be a long-drawn process. It will require a lot of trial and error to understand what you like and what suits you.
To better understand fashion and makeup, or for inspiration, you can turn to YouTube or Instagram.
There are hundreds of influencers in the field of makeup and fashion whose videos can help you learn the basics and then eventually find your style.
Voice
As you transition, you might experience gender dysphoria because of your voice, which remains unchanged.
So, you can opt for one of these two choices- vocal coach or vocal surgery. A vocal coach can help you learn how to speak in a more feminine manner with a higher pitch.
In Sweden, hiring a vocal coach for this specific purpose is free. The process of perfecting the pitch may take around four months.
However, you can also undergo a vocal surgery which will raise the pitch of your voice.
Surgeries
There are many surgeries that you could undergo to transition. For instance, many trans women undergo breast augmentation surgery. It can be quite painful, though.
SRS is another option, which is more commonly referred to as the bottom surgery. This is extremely painful and you may be required to stay at the hospital while you recover, for as long as a week.
Following that, you are required to dilate your vagina (insert an instrument to keep it open) thrice a day for twenty minutes. This frequency comes down eventually, but initially, it is painful.
Some people also undergo a subsequent surgery to beautify what was initially created in the bottom surgery. There are several other surgeries, including the face feminization surgery where the face is made more feminine.
For instance, the chin or the jaw may be made smaller, the forehead may be altered, the Adam's apple can be removed, and so on.
Cost
Finally, there is the question of expenditure. While everything is practically free in some countries like Sweden, that may not be the case everywhere else.
For instance, in the United States, transitioning can be an expensive procedure. To know more about the costs of transitioning in your country, you could research a little or ask around.
These are some of the many aspects that people deal with during transitioning. While there is always more to it, understanding these points and taking some of these suggestions can help you enjoy a more seamless, positive experience while transitioning. Good luck!!
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